'The Great British Baking Show' Returns to the Tent for a Cake Week That's Dog Eat Dog

I don't know what you've been told, but The Great British Baking Show's bad opening sketches are getting old. But if you thought Matt Lucas' exit would take them down, you haven't been paying attention now. Sound off, please, yes. Listen, I don't know why The Breadfather is opening Cake Week when that obviously should have been saved for Bread Week. I suppose we'll let it slide since it's an excellent way to introduce new host Alison Hammond and her impressive resume to the American audience at home who hasn't heard of her. (Don't worry; most of them haven't heard of Grime artists either so they can sympathize with Paul Hollywood for once.)

Even though we have not called Prue Leith, she's here too for the first round of baking challenges and the traditional start to our time in the tent, Cake Week. So let's grab a biscuit, either the cookie version or the southern drop ones with cream and jam, put our feet up this fall, and enjoy our time back in the tent for another edition (Season 14, despite Netflix still trying to pretend that anyone refers to it as "Cycle 11") of The Great British Baking Show and the twelve amateur bakers striving to be crowned champion this year. I mean, they can't be any worse or any more forgettable than the last season was, can they?

Honestly, Alison looks as nervous and excited to be here in the tent as the bakers as Noel introduces her to all and sundry. We are also introduced to Daryl, the BSL sign interpreter employed for this season, as one of our contestants, Tasha is deaf. Note he and she do not sign in ASL (American Sign Language) but in BSL (British Sign Language). Once again, we are two countries separated by a common tongue.